


I Think I Really Like You

by nothingisreal



Category: Motorsport RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-27
Updated: 2017-12-27
Packaged: 2019-02-22 17:22:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13171650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nothingisreal/pseuds/nothingisreal
Summary: Mick being this straight-forward about this throws Maxi off balance. He was expecting a bit more subtlety. Actually, scratch that. He was expecting not to be having this conversation at all.





	I Think I Really Like You

**Author's Note:**

> English isn't my first language, no beta

“You like me,” Mick tells him and Maxi just gapes at him. They’re surrounded by people and Mick has to shout over the music to be heard and now even the fact that he’s speaking German doesn’t help because they are in Germany for chrissake - almost everyone around them can understand what’s being said! 

Mick being this straight-forward about this throws Maxi off balance. He was expecting a bit more subtlety. Actually, scratch that. He was expecting not to be having this conversation at all. Ever. Especially not at a Mercedes party (after-party, whatever).

Over Mick’s head he sees Nico stumbling as he tries to dance with some girl, already drunk out of his mind. Maxi wishes he had thought to have poured more alcohol into himself too. 

But Mick’s champagne flute is only half-empty and there’s no way they’d give him something stronger - he’s seventeen after all. Besides, he doesn’t look drunk. His eyes are clear and focused. Which isn’t too good because they’re focused on Maxi’s face and Maxi feels his cheeks go hot as he shifts in place, trying to find a way out.

Mick rolls his eyes and takes the empty glass from Maxi, puts it away as his fingers wrap around Maxi’s wrist. Before Maxi can get his bearings he’s being pushed into an empty bathroom and then he’s too surprised to put up a fight.

“It’s quiet in here,” Mick says with a shrug, an explanation just in case Maxi is thinking something else, which, fair enough, he kind of is. 

Maxi catches his own reflection in the mirror and it makes him realise he looks terrified and like he’s about to have his tooth pulled. This is Mick. Mick is the sweetest person in the world. There’s no reason for Maxi to feel threatened.

Except there is because this conversation isn’t something anyone would look forward to and Maxi’s about to be put on the spot even more and asked something very uncomfortable.

Mick sighs and cocks his head to the side, arms crossed as he leans back against the sinks. “It’s okay,” he offers with a shrug. “But I hate you being so awkward around me.”

Maxi snorts, can’t help himself. He  _ likes _ Mick - Mick has said it himself - and yet the only problem he has with it is Maxi being awkward. “I’m not sure how I should respond to that,” he confesses and Mick smiles at him, uncrosses his arms and props his hands on his thighs.

“You don’t have to,” he says. “Just remember that we could be teammates next season. Think you can handle that?” There’s no malice behind the question, just genuine concern and Maxi’s heart speeds up. His first instinct is to say yes but Mick doesn’t want to be reassured - he wants an honest answer.

Maxi nods with a small smile. “You’re not as scary as you think,” he says, his voice so steady it surprises even himself.

Mick grins at him and they just look at each other for a while too long for this to feel entirely comfortable before Mick slaps his hands on his own thighs and straightens his back. The place where he pats Maxi on the shoulder on his way out tingles for way too long to be considered normal.

 

***

 

Callum’s awesome. Maxi has kind of known him before but now that they’re teammates they get to spend  _ a lot _ of time with each other and Maxi finds he doesn’t mind at all. They get along ‘like a house on fire’ as someone has put it - it might have been Ralf but Maxi can’t be sure. It probably was though, because it’s also him who loves to joke that Maxi should watch his step or else Mick could get jealous. 

Sometimes when being around Mick becomes too much, Maxi can just slip away and find Callum. With that said, Mick is still the person Maxi spends the most time around because… to be honest, he isn’t sure why but they’re close and they’re friends and Maxi’s silly little crush doesn’t matter. Mick doesn’t seem to mind. 

He’s starting to think he has imagined their conversation after Sindelfingen but then Mick slides up to him one day in the garage while they’re waiting for qualifying to start. “Are you over it?”

It’s a very weird question to ask, even by Mick’s standards. Maxi used to think that Mick has no filter in general but then he noticed that around other people he’s completely different. There are many things which Mick only seems to do or be around Maxi and Maxi doesn’t know what to make of it.

“Over what?” He asks, half of his brain still trying to process the data he’s looking at because Monza hasn’t been kind to him this weekend but if he puts his mind to it, he thinks he can manage to get into the top five for the two remaining races.

Mick lowers his voice, suddenly very interested in the zip of his own sweatshirt, “me.”

Maxi almost drops the papers he is holding but manages to catch them before they fall to the ground which, paired with his startled expression, must look hilarious from somebody else’s point of view and he sees some mechanics giving him amused and slightly curious looks. “What?!” Maxi whispers, staring at Mick with wide eyes. But Mick refuses to face him, eyes focused on his hands as he shrugs, bottom lip between his teeth.

It’s a valid question. Kind of. Mick has the right to be curious, after all it concerns him in some way. He also has the right to be worried about how Maxi’s holding up - he’s Mick, he’d do anything to make sure people he cares about are happy. Or maybe people in general? It’s not really important at the moment. 

The thing is, he doesn’t look like he’s either curious or worried. He looks like… Maxi doesn’t really know what but his shoulders are hunched and he’s eyes are glued to the floor and he gives the impression that all he wants to do is curl up with his arms around his knees and stay like that for the rest of the day. Maxi’s own heart hurts when he sees him like this so he turns to stare at the data again. He’s not really seeing it but he needs to focus for a second and sort out the mess in his head.

Before he can think of the right answer, Mick speaks again, “have you told him?”

Maxi wants to ask who ‘him’ is but when he looks at Mick he sees him glaring across the garage and when he follows his eyes, his gaze falls on Callum who quickly looks away. “No.” Callum meets his eyes again and raises his eyebrows questioningly. Maxi isn’t quite sure what he’s asking but he shakes his head and Callum just nods, glances at Mick before going back to staring out at the track. “I haven’t.”

Mick opens his mouth to say something, his stare so intense it makes Maxi’s cheeks burn up in a way it hasn’t in a long time, not since last year, but then his engineer calls his name and Mick presses his lips together tightly before shooting Callum one more look and walking away without another word.

“You looked upset,” Callum tells him later, “is everything okay with you two?”

Maxi just shrugs because if he’s being honest he has no clue what happened or what it meant. Callum doesn’t pry.

 

***

 

If Maxi thought he was surprised when Mick asked him about his crush earlier, it’s nothing compared to what Maxi’s feeling when Mick kisses him out of the blue later,  _ after _ the qualifying. Mick is giddy, having just scored his first position in the top three and that must be the reason. There’s no better explanation for what happens.

He’s all smiley and bright-eyed when he grips Maxi’s arms, laughing breathlessly, cheeks pink. And then before Maxi can realise what’s happening, one of Mick’s hands has slid onto the back of his neck, Mick standing on his tiptoes and then their lips are touching. It lasts maybe a second and Maxi would have thought he had imagined it if it wasn’t for the way Mick suddenly moves away, bottom lip between his teeth, brows furrowed and head turned the other way and down so that he’s not looking at Maxi.

“Mick…” 

“Sorry,” Mick mumbles as he practically flees from the garage, almost crashing into Callum on his way out.

Callum takes one look at Maxi and then sighs deeply as if he understands everything. He regards Maxi for a second, head cocked towards his shoulder. Apparently he decides that what Maxi needs right now is some peace and quiet because he leaves without saying anything.

As Maxi showers in his hotel room no more than an hour later, feeling numb and confused, he isn’t sure if Callum read him right this time.

 

***

 

As much as that first kiss could be considered an accident, there’s no way to misread the situation the second time around. Mick’s kisses are nothing like that tentative press of lips against lips just yesterday. This time he doesn’t blush and back out of the room, almost tripping over his own feet before he even gets to the exit. This time Mick pulls him closer so that he’s almost straddling Maxi on that bed and kisses him like he’s been wanting to do that for years. Maybe he has? Maxi is a bit too preoccupied with slipping his fingers  _ just _ beneath the waistband of Mick’s jeans, hot against the skin of his lower back, to wonder about it. Having Mick against him, on top of him, feels even better than Maxi imagined. 

Mick manages to appear perfectly confident and sure of what he’s doing up to the moment when their jeans come off which is when he blushes so hard his cheeks turn red rather than the usual pink typical of him, and hides his face in the crook of Maxi’s neck. 

“Hey,” Maxi slides his hand up and down Mick’s back, the other firm on Mick’s hip where Mick is straddling his thighs, “it’s okay. We can stop.”

He’s surprised when the sentence makes Mick go stiff and then shake his head frantically. He presses his lips to Maxi’s pulse point as his hips move forward and Maxi feels like he should maybe stop him but it doesn’t look like Mick  _ wants  _ to be stopped.

So Maxi doesn’t say anything. He just watches Mick’s face carefully as he reaches down and slides his hands down the back of Mick’s briefs, pulls the fabric down Mick’s thighs slowly. Mick’s breath hitches but he nods and Maxi suddenly gets what Mick needs from him as he flips them over so that Mick is on his back. 

Mick trusts him so much Maxi’s not sure his heart can take it, doesn’t trust  _ himself  _ not to say something stupid so instead he kisses Mick until he’s arching his back, trying to pull Maxi as close as physically possible. Later when Mick settles against him, breath shaky against Maxi’s shoulder, Maxi just presses him closer to his chest and tries to ignore the way Mick’s whole body is shaking for as long as he can.

“You okay?” He asks when he can’t take it anymore.

Mick shrugs but then nods. “I just… I don't know. It’s a lot, I guess.”

Maxi hums, fingers combing through Mick’s messy hair. When Mick props himself up on his elbow minutes later and leans over to kiss Maxi, he seems more grounded instead of like he’s going to fall apart any second. The kiss is slow and deep and Maxi’s surprised at the many ways he’s been kissed by Mick already. It’s like Mick has the ability to transfer all his thoughts just by pressing his lips to Maxi’s, maybe because he doesn’t trust himself to say them. Or maybe he’s just afraid.

“It’s okay,” Maxi repeats gently when Mick has settled against his side, head pillowed on Maxi’s chest. He wraps his arms tightly around Mick and stares out of the window at the sky painted red by the setting sun.

 

***

 

Maxi sometimes wonders if people can see all he’s feeling each time he looks at Mick. It must be showing on his face because it’s impossible to contain emotions this strong. But other than Ralf joking about it more than before and Joey laughing that he has to be careful so that Mick’s boyfriend doesn’t get jealous, Maxi doesn’t think anyone has noticed. It’s been months but there are no rumours, no gossip (at least none that Maxi’s aware of), no nothing. 

Maxi isn’t quite sure what it is they’re doing, they’re very good at not talking about it. Maxi doesn’t even want to because talking about it would mean it’s real (unless he’s very wrong and Mick sees him as just a friend in which case it would mean it’s over and done with) and that in turn would mean he’d have something tangible to lose. There is no way to win here. Maxi appreciates optimism but this would be pure fantasy and he doesn’t have time for that. 

They don’t spend all their time together having sex either. That’s part of it, yes, but they can also sit around and talk rubbish or watch telly or just…  _ be _ . Maybe if it was just sex Maxi wouldn’t find it as easy to fall for Mick that little bit more every second. Probably not, it’s Mick after all and Maxi’s lost his head over him ages ago. But every time Mick cuddles up to him or slides into his lap, head on Maxi’s shoulder, or tells him about something that gets him all flustered and enthusiastic so that Maxi just can’t stop himself from kissing him; every time they’re together, just sitting with their sides pressed tightly against each other because they’re in public and that’s as far as they can go, Maxi feels like he could just forget about the whole world as long as he was allowed to spend the rest of his life like this.

He’s so gone for Mick and he can’t tell if Mick knows that. He must. There are times Maxi thinks he sees his own feelings mirrored in Mick’s eyes. Mick lets Maxi see him when he’s at his most vulnerable, trusts Maxi so much Maxi sometimes wonders what he’s done to deserve it. But each time he convinces himself that this will be the day they finally have a proper conversation about what it is they’re doing, he looks at Mick, so relaxed and happy, and doesn’t have the heart to say anything.

 

***

 

Spielberg could have gone worse. Or maybe not? Maybe it would have been better if Lando had taken the title from him already so that Maxi didn’t have a whole month ahead of him to get his hopes up only to have them crushed later? Because who is he kidding anyway? He still has a chance, yes, but it’s a chance so slim, it has no right to turn into reality. 

“Don’t think about it,” Mick whispers, lips pressed against Maxi’s cheek, right next to his ear. Maxi wraps his arms around Mick’s waist where he’s kneeling on the bed next to Maxi and pulls him closer.

Maxi shakes his head. Mick’s presence has always been calming but now Maxi feels like he’s about to go out of his skin, his veins buzzing with something… Anxiety? Dread? Anger? He doesn’t know but it’s awful and he wants it to stop. 

He excuses himself quickly, pushing Mick off him with probably more force than is strictly necessary, not caring that it’s his own room as he shoves the door open. The force with which he shuts it is probably excessive but he feels a bit better for several seconds when he hears it slam closed with a loud bang. He’s thankful for it when Mick doesn’t follow him.

He isn’t expecting to bump into Callum as he’s going out but he does and then it’s all the same to him. Callum sees he’s upset but doesn’t comment on it and Maxi isn’t going to volunteer any information. They walk around aimlessly, no soul in sight and it’s already getting dark, they should probably be going back.

There’s tension and Maxi knows it’s his fault but Callum doesn’t say anything about it either. He talks about his day, smoothly avoiding the topic of the race, focusing on the terrible tea he got for breakfast and how he couldn’t sleep at night because he kept having nightmares and how it’s such a nice place to go jogging, Austria’s really beautiful… Maxi’s only half-listening to him at first but then he realises that Callum’s pointless babbling is calming him down. It’s such a shock that he just stops mid-step. Callum pauses a few metres ahead of him and turns to face him with a questioning look.

Maxi isn’t sure what pushes him to close the distance between them and kiss Callum, putting all his frustration and anger into it. Callum doesn’t mind. He gives as good as he gets and Maxi lets himself forget about everything and everyone, thankful for the darkness and how far from the hotel they got as he shoves his hands down the back of Callum’s pants and pushes their hips together roughly.

Mick’s gone by the time Maxi returns to his hotel room in the middle of the night, probably already back in Switzerland or at least on his way there, and Maxi feels even worse when he realises that what he’s feeling is relief.

 

***

 

Mick knows. Mick knows the second he lays his eyes on Maxi. Maxi waits with bated breath but Mick just bites his lip in that way Maxi loves and turns away with a sad nod. As if he has been expecting this to happen.

Maxi wishes Mick had shouted at him, punched him maybe. It would have been better than the unbearable guilt constricting his airways at the knowledge that he has hurt Mick. The fact that Mick was expecting to be hurt makes him squeeze his eyes shut and gasp for air before the heavy weight in his chest can suffocate him.

Although then at least he would be spared the torture of looking Mick in the eye ever again.

As it turns out it’s only the beginning, a forecast of how shitty Maxi’s weekend is going to get. He isn’t sure what hurts more - losing the championship or losing Mick. He’s been preparing himself for both for a month but it still stings and he doesn’t know what to do with himself as he shambles down the paddock, on his way to the hotel.

Callum spots him, makes a move as if to go up to him but Maxi shakes his head and quickens his step. He knows Callum won’t push. That knowledge makes Maxi feel even worse. Neither Mick nor Callum have deserved to be treated like this. To be cheated on or to be used and Maxi isn’t even sure if Callum knows that was what it was. Does he know about Mick? He could have suspected but Maxi’s never said anything, he’s sure Mick hasn’t either… 

Mick’s leaning against the wall next to Maxi’s door, arms crossed and a determined expression on his face. Maxi knows that look. It’s the look that means Mick is annoyed and quickly losing his patience. He’d bet he knows most if not all of Mick’s expressions. He can predict Mick’s reaction before Mick even knows what he wants to do.

Except for right now.

Neither of them speaks as Maxi struggles to open the door, hands shaking and muscles tense. Mick follows him inside, closes the door behind them and leans back against it. 

He looks like he’s fighting with himself and Maxi wants to help him out so much but feels like he doesn’t have the right to anymore. Mick opens his mouth as if to say something but then changes his mind and steps closer to Maxi. Maxi can’t tell what the look in Mick’s eyes means, he can’t tell what Mick’s thinking for the first time in what feels like forever and he’s so out of his depth right now, like he doesn’t know which way is up anymore.

Especially when Mick kisses him. Maxi remembers thinking, ages ago when this was still so new, that Mick has the ability to show exactly what he’s feeling just by kissing Maxi. This kiss is nothing like any they’ve shared up to this point. Mick’s kisses always had something tender and sweet in them, just like Mick always is. Something like a naive innocence, even when there was nothing naive or innocent about the situation they were in. This kiss is more like the way Maxi kissed Callum weeks ago and the thought makes his heart squeeze painfully.

He tries to push Mick away, hand on Mick’s chest but Mick just breaks the kiss long enough to shake his head with a curt “no” and then his lips are back on Maxi’s. Maxi’s mind is screaming at him to stop this but he can’t, doesn’t want to. He’s been dreaming of having Mick like this again, thought he would never get the chance again, and this might be the last time ever that he gets to do this.

He lets Mick have all the control for once. Lets him push Maxi onto the bed and straddle the back of his thighs. It feels weirdly calming in a way Maxi wasn’t expecting to just lay back and let Mick take care of him. Although ‘taking care’ might not be the right way to describe what’s happening.

Mick’s not gentle with him. Maxi doesn’t think he wants him to be anyway. This way he can focus on Mick fucking him hard and fast and bordering on  _ too much _ . Maxi wonders if that’s what it feels like for Mick each time Maxi’s inside him. If he feels so full and overwhelmed and emotional. Or maybe it’s just because Maxi has been feeling like shit these past few weeks but was refusing to dwell on it. If Mick did this like Maxi had when it was Mick’s first time - careful and slow, so methodical it would feel impersonal if it wasn’t for Maxi’s fingers caressing Mick’s skin and the sweet kisses he couldn’t stop pressing to Mick’s lips - Maxi wouldn’t be able to handle it, would just break down. It’s better like this.

Maxi doesn’t know what he’s feeling when Mick pulls out. He’s wet and empty and he misses having Mick inside him already. He’ll probably be feeling this for a few days and that’s good. He still has a race to do tomorrow but he doesn’t really care. If this was the last time they did this, the last time he had Mick this close, he wants to be reminded about this.

Mick doesn’t move for a long while. He doesn’t immediately get up and leave but neither does he lay down next to Maxi and cuddle up to him like he always does. Like he always used to? He just stays still, straddling Maxi’s thighs and Maxi feels exposed like this but it doesn’t matter either. He just wishes Mick would  _ do _ something instead of just hovering there.

Mick’s fingers on his back are gentle and Maxi starts, not having expected it. Mick whispers his name in a way that makes Maxi want to turn his head and look at him but he’s afraid of what he’ll find if he does so he grips the pillow in front of his face tighter and bites the inside of his cheek.

“Come on, look at me.”

Mick finally moves to kneel next to Maxi and Maxi forces himself to turn his head on the pillow and meet Mick’s eyes. It looks like all the fight has gone out of him, he just looks slightly disheartened and maybe hurt? Maxi takes a shaky breath. 

“You and Callum…” Mick snaps his mouth shut, not knowing how to continue.

“There’s no me and Callum,” Maxi says forcefully even though his voice is hoarse.

Surprise flits across Mick’s face and he nods. “But you did… something. I don’t know what,” he adds quickly, “and I’m not sure if I want to know.”

Maxi shakes his head. He’s sure Mick doesn’t want to hear it at least as much as Maxi doesn’t want to talk about it. But there is one thing he does want to say. “Mick, I’m so fucking sorry. I don’t even know why I did it.”

Mick sighs and slides down the bed until he’s lying down next to Maxi, their foreheads almost touching. “I know you are,” Mick says. “Honestly, I have no right to even be mad at you.”

Maxi furrows his brows. The way he sees it Mick has  _ every _ right to tell him he never wants to see him again and hate him for the rest of his life.

“I don’t,” Mick insists when he sees that Maxi wants to argue. He links his fingers with Maxi’s, strokes the back of Maxi’s hand with his thumb. “It was a bit arseholish, I’m not denying that. But nobody’s ever said anything about this,” he raises their joined hands as if Maxi wouldn’t know what he meant otherwise, “meaning something more.”

There are so many things Maxi wants to say but none of them feels right. “I’m not sure how I should respond to that.”

Mick bursts out laughing and settles closer against Maxi’s side and just like that all the tension is gone from between them. Maxi isn’t sure what has happened but the relief is enough to stop him from questioning it. 

“It’s been a year,” Mick laughs, pressing a quick kiss to Maxi’s nose, something Maxi usually does to Mick but as it turns out he doesn’t mind it the other way around either, “and you still haven’t figured it out?”

Maxi gapes at him for a moment before their conversation from that goddamned bathroom comes back to him. “I can’t believe…” he breaks off, shaking his head and turning onto his side so that he can kiss Mick more comfortably.

“We’re good, yeah?” Mick asks, his hand stroking Maxi’s cheek gently. It strikes Maxi as silly because it should be him asking that question and not Mick but if Mick doesn’t hate him then Maxi doesn’t see why they shouldn’t be.

“We’re good.”

 

***

 

“Oh my God, don’t mention it ever again!” Callum exclaims when Maxi tries to talk to him the next day. “I’m pretending it’s never happened.”

His terrified and mildly disgusted expression sends Maxi into a laughing fit until his stomach hurts and there are tears in his eyes. “Thank you, Callum,” he manages to gasp out, bent in half, hands on his knees, “that’s very nice of you.”

Callum laughs and pats his back. “I  _ am _ very nice,” he says. “It was very good but I don’t think I ever want to do it again.” He glances over his shoulder and when Maxi follows his gaze he notices Mick looking at them inquisitively. He’s relieved to see that there’s no jealousy or anger or anything other than pure  curiosity. “Besides,” Callum says and Maxi starts when he realises he’s still there, “I don’t think he’d like it very much.” He motions back towards Mick, a smirk on his lips and a knowing glint in his eyes.

Maxi opens his mouth but then closes it again with a shrug. “Probably not.”

“Joking aside,” Callum says, his smile softening, “I might have considered it but Mick’s…” he pauses, brows furrowed and Maxi knows how it feels, trying to describe Mick, so he can sympathise, “ _ Mick _ .”

Maxi laughs. “Don’t worry. I get it.” 

“You two are good together.”

Maxi smiles at him, cheeks burning and then starts walking back towards the garage slowly but Callum stops him with a hand on his arm.

“Can I ask you something?” 

Maxi shrugs. “Sure.”

Callum bites his lip and glances back at Mick again. “When did it start?”

“Umm… Monza, I guess?”

“Monza?!” Callum stares at him. 

Maxi widens his eyes. “Yeah. Why?”

Callum makes a weird sound that’s something between surprise, annoyance and amusement. “No, it’s just,” he laughs, “I was convinced you were an item before the season even started.” He smirks, his eyes mischievous. “If I’d known you were single, I would’ve done something about it.”

And before Maxi can think of a reply, Callum turns on his heel and walks away, hips swinging.

 

***

 

“I can’t believe this weekend is for real,” Mick moans, throwing himself onto Maxi’s bed. 

Maxi glances at him over his shoulder then goes back to gazing at the Macau skyline, trying to remember all the lights and colours flashing against the dark sky because this might be the last time he gets to see this. “Don’t remind me,” he says, “it could’ve been worse, though.”

“That’s not much of a consolation, you know.” 

“You’ll get another shot at this next year,” Maxi reminds him. He doesn’t mean anything by it but he’s aware of Mick going perfectly still behind him.

“Oh…” 

He hears the springs creaking and then there are arms wrapping around his waist, Mick’s lips pressed to the side of his neck. Maybe they should be more cautious and not do shit like that standing in the window with the curtains open but Maxi can’t bring himself to care.

Maxi turns around in his arms to kiss Mick properly. “I’m gonna miss you so fucking much,” he confesses.

“Hey, no,” Mick hits his arm half-heartedly, “none of that. We’ll see each other.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Maxi throws one more longing glance over his shoulder before pushing Mick backwards, towards the bed. He isn’t sure if sex is what he’s going for tonight. He’d rather just have Mick tell him some stupid stories about all the shit he got up to last season with Juan and Juri or maybe about how Charles got drunk after that football match in Monaco and did something resembling a half-striptease before somebody stopped him (Mick has a video which he refuses to show to Maxi).

“I have a confession to make,” Mick says once they’ve settled on the bed, Maxi’s back against the wall and Mick’s legs draped over Maxi’s lap. For some reason he seems to really like sitting like this and Maxi doesn’t mind at all. “I might have had a crush on you but was afraid to act on it.”

Maxi stares at him in shock. Mick manages to keep his face neutral even as his cheeks gain a rosey pink colour. “What’s changed?”

Mick shrugs, his face reddening. “I guess I was jealous?”

Maxi sputters, “jealous? Of whom?”

Mick determinedly stares at his own fingers playing with the sleeve of Maxi’s sweatshirt. “Callum,” he mumbles.

Maxi’s eyebrows shot up. “Callum?” He pauses and shrugs. “Okay, so you weren’t exactly  _ wrong _ but that was months later.”

“Maybe I can foresee the future,” Mick raises his chin, tries to stare Maxi down but Maxi just chuckles and caresses his cheek. Mick deflates visibly. “It looked like you two would… you know. And I didn’t want that.”

“I should thank Callum,” Maxi says thoughtfully, stroking Mick’s bare arm.

Mick narrows his eyes at him. “I think you’ve thanked him enough.”

Maxi snorts. He wraps his arm around Mick and uses it to pull him in for a kiss. He has a confession he’d like to make too, it has been on the tip of his tongue for months, but he doesn’t think he has the guts to do it. He rests his head back against the wall with a heavy sigh.

“What’s up?” Mick asks curiously because Maxi was fine just moments ago and now it looks like he’s lost all his will to live. 

Maxi opens and closes his mouth several time before settling on, “I really like you, you know?”

He’s not looking at Mick but he doesn’t have to be to know that Mick’s staring at him like he could see into Maxi’s mind if he tries hard enough. Sometimes Maxi gets the impression that he actually can. It’s a bit creepy but mostly endearing, the way Mick always knows what Maxi needs from him. Neither of them is very good with words but somehow they make it work.

Mick laughs softly beside him and then coaxes Maxi to turn his head towards him so that Mick can kiss him. “I  _ ‘really like’ _ you too.”


End file.
